Lamp replacer



Nov. 10, 1931. 'N. J. BIRONG ET AL 1,831,477

LAMP REPLACER Filed Dec. 10, 1930 INVENTORS NICHOLAS J. BIRD/Y6 JOHNM/LLEE ATTORNEYS.

' Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES NICHOLAS J'. IBIRONG, OFGLENDALE, AND J OHN MILLER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA PATENT. OFFICELAiur aEPLAcER Application filed December 10, 193o. Serial ma ia;

Our invention has reference to devices for attaching electric lamps toor removing them from elevated sockets to obviate the necessity ofemploying step ladders for accomplishing this purpose, such devicesbeing known in the art as lamp replacers.

It is a purpose of our invention to provide a lamp replacer which ischaracterized by its 1 ing or replacing the lamp. from or to its socket.v

We will describe only one form of lamp replacer embodying our invention,and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings: I

Figure 1 is a View showing in side elevation one form of lamp replacerembodying our, invention and with the replacer in open or non-grippingposition.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the replacer in lampgripping position.

Figure 3 is a View taken at right angles .to Figure 2 and with a portionof the device broken away. x Figure it is a fragmentary view similar toFi ure 2 and showing the arms of the device in gripping relation to arelatively large lamp bulb. I

In carrying out our invention, we provide any desired length. Upon the.upperend of the pole is secured a ferrule 16, and projecting from thisferrule is an ear. v17 through P which extends a pin 18 to provide apivotal mounting for a pair of crossed levers 19. and 20. V I

The lever 19'beyond the pivot pin 18 is constructed to provide a pair ofrelatively H curved, and divergent clamping arms 21,and a third andrelatively short clamping inserted, all without the necessity ofIoperata handle which is in the form of apole of arm 22.. This arm 22isof a different curvature from that of the arms 21 and is offsetlaterally with respect thereto for a purpose to be describedhereinafter- Beyond the pivot pin 18 the lever is provided with apair ofdivergent and relatively short clamping arms 23 which are adapted tocoact-with the arms 21' as well as the arm .22 in efiiecting gripping oflamp bulbs ofLvarious sizes. All of the arms are covered with sleeves 24of rubber orother suitable materialin order to provide a yielding mediumbetween the arms: and a lamp bulb to prevent breaking of the latter.

Links 25 are connected to thelower ends of the levers19 and- 20, andfrom their points of connection with the levers they converge toward thehandle 15 where they are connected tothe lower end of a spring 26. Thisspring is of the coiled contractile type and its upper endis secured tothe ferrule 16 by. means of a screw27. This screw may also beemployedtosecure the ferrule to the handle] The spring 26 tends to movethelinks upwardly and, in consequence, to move the lower ends of thelevers outwardly thereby causingthe two sets of armsifor the respectivelevers to bespread' to anon-gripping position with; respect to a lampbulb. I

The upper'end of a spring 28 is connected tothe lower ends of the links25, while the lower end of the springis connected to the upper end of acord 29 which extends downwardly through screw eyes 30 secured to thehandle l5 for'engagement with a latch head 31 provided with .a base32secured by means ofscrews 33'to thefhandle 15 preferably-eta pointadjacent the lower end of the handle in order that thelatch head may bereadily accessible to insert or remove the cord.

j The latch head 31 is provided with a V shaped groove 34 in which thecord 29 is adapted to be received, and the cord is providedat intervalsalong its length with knots 351 VViththe cord disposed within the groovein the manner illustrated in Figure 2, any one of the knots 35engagesthe latch head at the lower end of the groove so as to restrainthe spring 26 f against contraction to move the levers to'the' positionshown in Figure 1.

In operation, the spring 26 causes the arms 21, 22 and 23 to normallyoccupy non-gripping positions with respect to a lamp bulb, that is whenthe spring is not expanded by downward pull on the cord 29. Thus, withthe clamping arms in non-gripping position, they may be applied to alamp bulb so that the bulb is interposed between the arms.

By pulling downwardly upon the cord the links 25 are actuated to movethe lower ends of the levers inwardly thereby moving the clamping armsinwardly to engage the lamp bulb, and by subsequent pulling on thehandle or rotation thereof the bulb can be removed from the socket. Bycausing one of the knots to engage within the groove of the.

latch head, the cordcan be maintainedin lowered position to retain theclamping arms in gripping engagement with the lamp bulbso thatmanipulation of the handle to remove the lamp from its socket can beexecuted with dispatch and without the liability of the arm disengagingthe bulb.

WVith the cord 29 held in extended'position by the latch head 31, thespring 26 is extended so that once the cord is disengaged fromthe latchhead the spring serves to return the clamping arms to non-gripping'position. However, in practice itis desirableuthat the cord remainlatched and the clamping arms in gripping position, and particularly sowhere a relatively long handle is employed for the reason that the latchhead being remote from the clamping arms would necessitate first theunlatchingof the cord and then the holding thereof to prevent the spring26 from moving the arms to non-gripping posi tion and the consequentdropping ofthe, bulb from the device.

To avoid this awkward method of operation with the attendantpossibilities of breaking the bulb, the spring 28 is provided. With thecord latched as described and the clamping arms in gripping position,one may remove the bulb from the clamping arms by manually spreadingeither one set of arms or the other sufficientlyto allow withdrawal ofthe bulb from between the arms. Such movement of the clamping arms ispermitted by reason of the extensibleconnection provided by the spring28 for it will be understood that the spring permits upward movement ofthe links 25 sufficiently to allow the required spreading of theclamping arms to release the bulb. Conversely, a bulb may be insertedbetween the arms by manually spreading them, and without unlatching thecord from the latch head.-

An important feature of our invention is.

the relative arrangementof the two sets of clamping arms inorder torender the deviseapplicable to lamp bulbs of various sizes. Asillustrated, the arms 23 are disposed between the arms 21, and thecurvature of the two pairs of arms is such that the arms are arms areadaptable to the gripping of lamp bulbs of various sizes.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of lampreplacer embody ng our mventlon, 1t is to be understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim V V p 1. A'lamp replacer comprising clamping arms for grippinga lamp bulb, means for mounting the arms to occupy gripping andnon-gripping positions, means for yieldably urging the arms tonon-gripping position, manually operable means for moving the arms togripping position, and means for latching the manually operable means tomaintain the arms in gripping position, said manually operable meansincluding a yieldvable element which permits manual move.-

ment of the clamping arms to non-gripping position to permit theinsertion or removal of a lamp bulb without unlatching the manuallyoperable means.

2. A lamp replacer comprising two sets of arms pivoted to occupygripping and nongripping positions, one of the arms of one setco-acting' with those of the other to clamp a lamp bulb of one size, andthe remaining arms ofthe first set co-acting with those of the other toclamp a lamp bulb of another size when the two are in gripping position.

3. A lamp replacer comprising a pair of crossed and pivoted levers, apair of arms on. one of the levers, a pair of arms on the other leverco-acting with the first pair of arms to grip relatively large bulbs,and a third arm on one of the levers positioned to co-act with the armson the other lever for gripping relatively small bulbs.

4. A lamp replacer comprising a pair of levers crossed and pivoted, apair of arms on one of the levers, a second pair of arms on the otherlever, said pairs of arms being curved inwardly, and the arms of onepair being disposed between those of the other pair, and a third arm onthat lever having the pair of arms disposed to the outer sides of theother pair of arms, said arm being oiiset with respect to the other armsof the respective lever.

5. A lamp replacer comprising a pair of levers crossed and pivoted, apair of arms on one of the levers, a second pair of arms on the otherlever disposed to the outer sides of the first pair of arms, a third armon the last to non-gripping position to allow the insermentioned leverbetween the respective pair tion or removal of a lamp bulb wlthout unofarms so as to co-act with the arms of the latchmg the manually operablemeans.

NICHOLAS J; BIRONG.

other lever in gripping relatively small lamp bulbs.

6. A lamp replacer comprising a pair of levers crossed and pivoted, apair of arms on one of the levers, a second pair of arms on the otherlever disposed to the outer sides of the first pair of arms, a third armon the last mentioned lever between the respective pair of arms so as toco-act with the arms of the other lever in gripping relatively smalllamp bulbs, means acting to move the levers to positions in which thearms occupy nongripping position with respect to a lamp bulb, and meansmanually operable for mov ing the levers against the action of the firstmeans for causing the arms to assume a gripping position with respect toa lamp bulb.

7. A lamp replacer as embodied in claim 6 wherein vieldable means iscorrelated to the manually operable means for permitting movement of thearms to a non-gripping position while the manually operable means isactive to retain the arms in gripping position.

8. A lamp replacer comprising a handle, a ferrule on me end of thehandle, a pair of levers crossed and pivoted on the ferrule. arms onsaid levers co-acting with the arms of the other lever to grip bulbs ofanother size. links connected to the levers and to each other, a springassociated with the links acting to move the levers to a position inwhich the arms occupy non-gripping position with respect to a bulb. amanually operable member connected to the links and mounted on thehandle for actuating the links against the tension of said spring tomove the levers into a position in wh ch the arms oc upy grinpingposition with respect to a lamp bulb, and means on the handle adapted toengage the member for latching the latter in a position in which thearms are retained in bulb arms for gripping a lamp bulb, means formounting the arms to occupy gripping and non-gripping positions, meansfor yieldably urging the arms to non-gripping positions, manuallyoperable means for moving the arms to gripping position, and means forso latching the manually operable means to maintain the arms in grippingposition and yet ermit manual movement of the arms JOHN MILLER.

